Basket



H. C. FUERSTENBERG BASKET Filed July 17, 1942 Patented Apr. 24, 1945 OFF-ICE BASKET Herbert G. Fuerstenberg, Indianapolis, Ind. Application July 17, 1942, Serial-No. 451,291

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a container structure and more particularly one of basket form.

The chief object of this invention is to produce a container structure capable of fabrication into various shapes, the combination of the several parts being of unique character and capable of utilization to produce various types of container articles. l

By way of example only and for the purposes of description, the invention is herein illustrated T and described a applied to'a basket, and one wherein the handle portion is not only of container retaining character, but also provides a swivel arrangement, so that the handle may be firmly gripped and yet the container portion of,

the structure may swing or swivel thereon.

One feature of the invention is that the construction readily lends itself to shipment in the knock-down, and the purchaser, or the retailer, can with little effort assemblethe parts together to form the container.

Construction is also of such a character that it readily lends itself to the application of any desired color, or colors. ture is of such a character that, while the absence of any metal therein is not obligatory, yet the construction can be fabricated without the utilization of any metallic element, as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

The chief feature of the invention consists in utilizing a single sheet of comparatively flexible material that has sufficient strength, density and stability. as well as rigidity despite its flexibility,

Furthermore, the strucso that it can be associated with certain elements and form a major portion of the container defining wall formation. I

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following specifications and claims:

In the drawing V Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, the same being illustrated as of basket type, having the characteristics previously pointed out.

Fig. 2 is a developed plane view of the flexible sheet forming the ends and the bottom of the container. Y

Fi 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through one upper portion of an end wall, illustrating a modifiedform of sheet anchorage arrangement.

'In Fig. l of the drawing, ill indicates a side, having curved end edges I I that terminate in a central lower foot portion I2, At each upper corner-o1 the side is an outward extension 13, apertured at M, and in this embodiment of the invention the aperture is circular.

In this form of the invention, also extending upwardly from the top edge I5 of. the side and medianly thereof is the integral extension is, which near its upper end isprovided with an aperture I! for handle reception purposes.

Reference will nowbe had to Fig. 2. In this figure, 20 indicates a bottom forming of the container, and 2| indicates the two oppositely directed' portions integral therewith, forming curved ends. The bottom portion 20 at each side is recessed, or notched, as it were, as indicated at 22, while each free corner of the'end portions 2| i notched as at 23. The side portion 1!) is also circularly apertured, as at i8.

The two sides may be made of three-ply plywood, the bottom and end formingmembers may be made of a flexible plywood, or the like, and one suitable for the aforesaid is Randalite," which consists of one central layer of veneer faced with outer layers of kraft paperboard. This particular material, or one equivalent to it, not only is flexible, as pointed out, but has uite a bit of stillness and also has suflicient strength and stability for load supporting and carrying purposes. I

Four transverse members are provided. The upper one is indicated by the numeral 36 and forms a handle. It may be of dowel stock, and the opposite ends project through the apertures ll of the upper integral extensions l6. Tapered pins or wedges, 3| may be driven into diametrically tapered holes 32 in the projecting ends of the dowel stock handle 30, and thus, the extensions l-6 are united together and prevented fr m s paration by this handle. Likewise, it will be quite apparent that the entire container structure can swing, or rotate, on the handle 39, the latter providing the bearing therefor at-the ends of the handle, apertures I! being large enough therefor.

The lower-portion of the sides are similarly se cured together by one or more, and here n one, similar member 34 that has the ends project ng through the aperture 18 and secured in like manner by the'tapered pins 35 seated in the diametrically tapered openings 36 in said projecting ends. Member 34 need not have a friction fit.

As shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the bottom portion 20 lies immediately above the transverse member 34 and bears thereon. One or more of said transverse members may be provided, herein -a single one forsimplicity is illustrated.

The tongue portions 24 on the ends 2 l formed by notching the corners 23, are seated in the routing, or groove, 31, formed in the top edge or rail member 38. This rail member may be dowel stock, which has been run through a groover or router. If desired, two or more pins 39 may extend transversely into the member 38, and through the tongue 24 inserted in the groove 31 thereof, and thus, the two end members 38 and the flexible member 2l-2El-2l constitute a single unit. It is connected to the sides by the ends of the anchoring members 38 extending through the openings 14, previously mentioned. A friction fit ,7

is here preferred.

In the simplest form of the invention, no tapered pins are provided, but the projecting ends of the members 38 may be provided with a dia-- metrically tapered hole and a tapered pin may also be utilized in the manner previously described with reference to the members and 34.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the notched portion 23 is of such character that the tongue portion 24, see Fig. 2, lies between'th' two sides I0 and the edges, or side portions of the portion 2 I see Fig. 2, lap the curved edge H of said sides. The recess 22 in the bottom portion 20, see Fig. 2, is such that it laterally seats the foot portion l2 of the side 10. To and fro movement of this single flexible member, between the sides, is limited by the walls forming the recess 22, engaging the side edges of the foot portion i2. Downward movement of this flexible member under load is limited by the transverse member 34. Outward movement, or spreading apart of the ends, is prevented by the transverse members 38. Separation of the sides is, of course, prevented by the wedge pins 3i and and such other pins as may be provided.

The first form of the invention, it will be obvious, only utilizes a few metal pins to secure the tongues 24 to the end rail members 38, and even the former are not required, as will now appear and as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this figure, 60 indicates the side wall, 63, the ear portion at the upper end thereof, and 62, the top edge of the side wall;

The flexible sheet end wall forming portion is indicated by the numeral II. It is notched, as at '72, forming the tongue portion 14, which is con siderably elongated. The transverse member 18 is routed or grooved, as at 11, and herein the tongue portion is lapped at least once around the transverse members 18, and the free end 15 is seated in this groove or routing 11. Any load strain tending to pull out portion 15 from the routing, or groove, 11 will only serve to lock the connection tighter than before. T

Of course in this form of the invention, the member 18 cannot rotate in the opening in the portion 63, and for that purpose, the opening is formed non-circular, as indicated at 19, and the projecting ends of the member 18 are complementarily formed, as indicated at 80.

It will be noted, comparing Figs. 1 and 3, that in the latter the groove 11 is directed upwardly, while in the former, the groove 31 is directed downwardly. In the modification shown in Fig. 3 in this form of the invention, the portion .1 I. laps the side end edge 6| of the side 60.

In order to mount the members 38 to the bottom and end forming member, the strip 2 I-2ll-2l is applied to the tongue portions 24 thereof and the transverse members 38 and they are then pinned to the tongue portions as described. It is to be'understood that the apertures M are of such size that the members 38 are frictionally engaged in said openings, that being one of the reasons why the taper peg lock may be omitted.

In applying the singular flexible strip to the transverse member in the modification shown in Fig. 3, the tongue portions of said strip may be suitably moistened or conditioned to flex to a greater degree. The ends thereof are then inserted in the routing, or groove, in the end memhere 18 and they then are rolled up, so as to roll the tongue portions of the strip at least once about the transverse members, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and to such a degree that the strain of any force tending to release the connection will be transmitted to the portion seated in the groove and tend to retain it in that groove.

While the upwardly extended portion I8 is shown integral with the side I II, it is not essential that said upward extension and the side be integral, but an additional member may be provided whenever and wherever desired, and, in that event, the additional member may be extended downwardly, so that the load supporting, transverse member 34 would not only project through the side II), but also through this additional member. The member then would be suitably secured to the side l0 near the upper edge I5 thereof in any desired manner and this then would prevent the entire handle structure from swivelllng about the transverse member 34. Such a connection may be of metal pin connection, or maybe of locking tongue and slot character in which case the tongue would .be formed on the additional member, secured at opposite ends to the handle member and the load bearing member, and the slot would be formed in the side wall. If the member 35, aperture l8 and aperture in theaddltional member be formed as indicated by dotted line 19-80 in Fig. 3, the handle supporting additional members need not be secured, or otherwise interlocked with the sides l0.

The basic construction, as initially stated herein, is also applicable to the formation of other types of containers than thatof a handle basket. Also, it is to be understood that the outline of the basket need not be that requiring its opposite side edges H to be curved, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawing, and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. a

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art. All are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: h

1. Acontainer including a pair of spaced sides, a single continuous bottom and end Wall member, a pair of anchoring members, each secured to an end of said first mentioned member and projecting therefrom at opposite sides, the projecting ends of said anchoring member extending through the spaced sides and being locked thereto, and member means immediately below the bottom member, the latter bearing thereon, the member means projecting through the sides and being locked thereto. I

2. A container including a pair of spacedsides, a continuous bottom and end wall member, a pair of end anchoring members, each secured to an end of said first mentioned member and projecting therefrom at opposite sides, the projecting ends of said anchoring member extending through the spaced sides and being locked thereto, and member means immediately below the bottom member, the latter bearing thereon for support, the member means projecting through the sides and being locked thereto, each side having a lower edge of elongated bearing forming character serving as a foot type support for said container, the continuous member including at each side edge a recess to laterally therein seat the lower end portion of the side, the remaining side edge portion of the container member lapping the adjacent edges of the side.

3. A container including a pair of spaced sides, a continuous bottom and end wall member, a pair of end anchoring members, each secured to an end of said first mentioned member and projecting therefrom at opposite sides, the projecting ends of said anchoring member extending through the spaced sides and being locked thereto, and member means immediately below the bottom member, the latter bearing thereon for support, the member means projecting through the sides and being locked thereto, means extending'upwardly from each of the sides, and other means substantially parallel to the anchoring members and the member means and extending through the upwardly extending means and 'being locked thereto for handle purposes, each side having a lower edge of elongated bearing formingcharacter serving as a foot type support for said container, the continuous member including at each side edge a recess to seat laterally therein the lower end portion of the side, the remaining side edge portion of the continuation member lapping the adjacent edges of the sides.

HERBERT C. FUECRSTENBERG. 

